If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM has helped my arthritis immensely!! My knees were so bad I could barely walk, but now they are so much better that I can walk around the block now pain-free. I highly recommend it. You have to take it religiously for a few weeks before you will see or feel any difference. Don't give it up too early, even if you think it's not helping. I take the Osteo BiFlex brand, which you can buy at any big box discount store for a fairly decent price. And you can also print out coupons online at www.Osteobiflex.com to use at any store. Evil Walmart has the best price though.......

SoSimple........your Rheumie sounds smart. May I ask what med you take?

He is an excellent doctor - I really lucked out with him. To answer your question, I am currently taking Humira, one of the "biologics" that have come out in recent years. I also take Methotrexate (but am about to start tapering that off) and Celebrex. Humira is fantastically expensive (about $1750/month for the routine dose I take), but it has changed my life. I also take fish oil (though I'm currently eating a vegan diet otherwise), ginger and turmeric, plus vitamin D.

From other reading that I have done, if you have one autoimmune disease, chances are that you will develop another one. Mine is Hashimoto's thyroiditis and starting with arthritis. Getting the thyroid under control has really helped with the arthritis. Boswellia is a good anti-immflammatory herb that helps with arthritis pain and doesn't tear up your body the way that OTC pain meds do. Regular exercise helps as well as flaxseed oil and borage oil. I actually use boswellia for my cat and it helps him a lot. Turmeric is also a good anti-immflammatory herb. Accupuncture has also been shown to help.